Wednesday, 10 August 2016

Alyeskan Tales: Wulf's Cry

This week is something a little different and quite possibly the start of another anti-series of posts much like the Gazetteer and Rogue's Gallery posts. 'Alyeskan Tales', as this new series is going to be called, is intended to cover the various adventure ideas I have for the Frozen Skies setting. These adventures will be a bit rough and ready, though they probably will be polished up at a later date especially if I get feedback.

So without further ado allow me to introduce...

Wulf's Cry

"A beacon station that guides aircraft across the Dragonspine Mountains, on the air route between New Gwentia and Calharrow, as requested emergency supplies before it is cut-off by a blizzard. Bureaucratic wrangling has meant that a very short and rapidly closing window is now left before the storm hits, meaning anyone who delivers the supplies could quite possibly find themselves stranded."

The players are presumed to have access to a cargo plane (the equiv of a C-47 Skytrain/Dakota) and have been chartered by the Alyeskan Aerial Corps to deliver the supplies. Bureaucratic red tape has meant the flight be delayed so that the players will have just barely enough time to complete the delivery before the blizzard hits, the leading edge of the storm will make flying a little difficult and so a -2 penalty on Piloting rolls will be in play as the players approach the station.

The destination of the players will be Beacon Station K-22, an outpost in the Dragonspine Mountains that maintains a radio navigation beacon to guide aircraft through the mountains. K-22 is staffed by four airmen, an NCO and an officer who's job it is to keep the beacon working. Layout wise it consists of a large radio tower that stands next to to a large, long wooden hut that serves as a combined radio building and barracks. In addition there is a smaller wooden hut that serves at the stores, a lean-to W.C. shack next to the barrack hut and a small hanger that contains a workshop that can do light repairs to aircraft.

A Calamity of Events

The clock is very much against the players as they attempt to beat the storm, especially after various hold-ups led to a late departure. By the time they've unloaded their aircraft at K-22 the blizzard is pretty upon them, effectively grounding them until the storm passes. So the players will have to sit it out in the barrack hut with the outpost's unit with little to do other than trying to pass the time.

A short time after the blizzard hits one of the airmen heads outside, either to relieve himself in the W.C. or to fetch something from the stores hut. Allow another short period of time to pass until the airman is considered to be overdue, at which point the NCO and another one of the airmen will head outside to search for their missing comrade. Make the players do a Notice roll but with a -4 penalty due to the blizzard outside, if they succeed will hear screams and gunfire from the two men. The second airman will hurry back inside, reporting that they had been attacked by something which killed the NCO and presumably the missing airman.

The first of three waves of attack will begin with Wulver Stalkers (see stats below), there will be four Stalkers plus one for each player character. The Stalkers will use the blizzard for cover as much as possible, so treat it as being Dark. Plus the Stalkers will attempt to break into the barrack hut, though unless they're all killed they will withdraw after five rounds of combat. An hour or so later the second wave will hit, this time consisting of 2-3 normal Wulvers per player character plus any Stalker that survived from the first wave. Like the second wave will they attempt to break into the hut, though this time they will withdraw after ten rounds or after they've lost two-thirds of their numbers depending which comes first.

Final wave of attack will come roughly half an hour after the second wave, this time consisting of 3-4 Wulvers per player character plus an Alpha and any surviving Stalkers. After ten rounds roll a d6 and a roll of 'six' the cavalry will arrive in the form of a gyro-carrier and a squad of Wulfbane Commandos which should tip the odds in the players' favour. By this time the blizzard should be passing and the players will finally be able to leave Outpost K-22.

Cast of Characters

Airmen & NCO

The airmen consist of Aircrafthand Banks, Aircrafthand Collier, Aircrafthand Stevens and Leading Aircrafthand Bartlett. The NCO is Corporal Higgins.